The University Library is one of the largest academic libraries in the country and boasts an outstanding research collection, incorporating an astonishing 2.7 million books and scholarly periodicals, and more than 16,000 electronic resources.
Overlooking the centre of our beautiful campus, the library is an inspirational place to study, with study and research desks near to the windows, allowing all users of the building to benefit from natural light and stunning views. Inside, careful attention has been paid to the efficient use of space, accessibility for all, and the 12km of open access shelving have been arranged in such a way as to be far more intuitive to navigate.
Subject libraries
The Barnes Library occupies two floors in the central block of the Medical School. The library supports staff and students in the subject areas of medicine, biosciences, health sciences and sport.
Dental library books are located in the campus library. The collection contains monographs, periodicals, theses, videos and electronic media. We currently subscribe to about 80 periodicals and the book collection numbers around 5000. A digital locker in the Enhanced Learning Zone at the Dental Hospital is available for students to pick books up on request and you are also able to return books to the adjacent book box, the Barnes Library or Main Library. More information about this is available here. Special Collections material in the field of Dentistry is housed in the Cadbury Research Library in the Muirhead Tower on our main campus.
The Library of Birmingham
The Library of Birmingham is a public library situated on the west side of the city centre at Centenary Square, beside the Birmingham Rep. The library opened in September 2013.
The library has nationally and internationally significant collections, including the Boulton and Watt archives, the Bournville Village Trust Archive, the Charles Parker Archive, the Parker collection of children's books, the Wingate Bett transport ticket collection, the Railway and Canal Historical Society Library, and the photographic archives of the Warwickshire photographic survey. The Library is free to use and has a considerable amount of desk space available.